Improvement in paper-cutting machines



1/ Q L zum.

l NN NAPETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, Dv C.

tra sole sA-MUELBROWN, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, Assmann To nmsntr AND cnPHAs n. CARVER, or sAnn PLAcE.

Letters Patent No. 112,414, dated March?, 1871.

iMPRovEMENT In PAPER-currmc MACHINES.

A l The Schedule refend to in these Letters Patent and making pari: 1ofthe same.

To all whom 'ifmay` concern.

Beit known that 1,-SAMUnL BROWN, of the cityI `andcounty of Philadelphiaand Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and, useful Improvement in Paper-cutting Machines; `and I do hereby declare that the followipg is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had tothe 'accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention appel-talus to that style of paper-cut- Vting machines in which a straight knife is arranged to slide up and down in suitable slots in the framing, and which acts., ou `the paper with a draw or oblique cut, in-Vconnection with which is used a clamping frame, so

arranged that it can be readily depressed and ycaused to bear on' the lpaper placed on the table of the machine and hold `it firmly in position While being cut. `A gauge is also arranged so as to 'move the paper any desired distance under the knife, which at each down stroke cuts itsinoothandeven.

' VThe first part of; my improvements relateto" the manner of arranging'and operating thev knife, the ends of which are' brought down simultaneously, and at the same time the' blade operates with a draw or oblique cut. In `order to accomplish this I connect the ends of the knife by means of two rods to ahorizontal shaft placed at a short distance below it, the attachl ment being made byjmeans-of ball-joints, in the sockets of whichareinserted `yokes, in order to allow a vibrating movement of the rods. The said rods are also provided with right-andfleft-h'anded screw-threads,

so that the knife can be adjusted and both the ends brought down on a periectly parallel line at the same instant.

The second `part of my improvements relate `to tlie l mannerof constructingr the clamp for holding the paper` and of the gauge for feeding it to the knife. The diliculty heretofore experienced with this portion ofthe ,machine has been that the upper bar ofthe clamping frame,` which is made broad in order'to hold the paper firmly, would not permit the gauge to move all the paper required to be cut sufficiently close tothe knife, hence a strip of paper equal in Width to the clampingbar always remains intact. flo overcome this I arrange the gauge so that a part of it will pass into recesses formed in the bar, so that any quantity of papel' narrower than the bar can be moved under itand cnt'by the clamping-frame and gauge, showing the position of the clamp while holding the paper, and of the gauge when moved up close to the knife.

Figure 5, plate 2, is'a sectional view through the center of a portion of one of the connecting-rods.

To enable those vskilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its cunstruction and operation. y

The knife A, lig. l1 is made of any required length and width, and has formed or secured on 'each end two spheres or balls, .B and B, and the lowerportiou is made bevel and is ground to av cutting-edge. v l

The knife-blade-thus constructed is passed thrdugh. and works in two vertical slots formed iu the framingpieces 0 and O of the 7machine. v

At the proper distance below the\sa.id` knife, and working in suitable bearings formed ii`i" tlieframes O and O', is a horizontal fshaft, D, the ends of which pro.- ect a short distance out on each side, and have secured on them two cranks, E and E', the pins of which are made in the form of 'spheres F and F, similar to those on the knife A.

. The knife A and the shaft D are connected by means of rods G and G', the ends of which are pron vided with right-and-Ielt-hand screw-threads for securing them into the stub-ends H H.l The said stubs and their' caps h h pass over and partially inclose the spheres formed on the, cranks and those on the end of the knife-blade in the same manner as the ordinary ball-and-socket joint. l

llhe connecting-rods' G and G are provided with bosses t and-b', which are made square, or of any suitable 4shape to snit a wrench, which is applied when itis desired to turn the rods to the right or left for the purpose of lengtheningr orshortening them, and they are also provided with jam-nuts I and I for holdingr them in proper positiouwhen once adjusted.

The rods G and G are adjusted so that when the shaft Dis rotated both ends ofthe knife will be brought down simultaneously, and at the same time itis caused to operate with a draw or oblique cut by means of au oscillating arm, J, one end of which is pivoted to the` center and near the upper edge of the knife, and the opposite end is pivoted at a short distancev from the end of a cross-piece, K, secured across the frames O and C.

The. spheres or balls B and B' and Fand F have each inserted in grooves passing over them, at the ceutral part, a yoke, L, (as shown in iig. 5, plate 2,) which is made in two parts, and fitted by means of cylindrical projections or pivots l and l' on t-heir sides, into recesses in the sockets and caps of the stub-ends H or H. ,'Ihe yokes thus fitted over the balls permit of a vibrating movement' of the rods while they are being carried around by the cranks, and at the same time the knife is caused to move obliquely in a perfectly horizontal position. By thus keeping the knife horizontal while it is moving downward the edge of it will eiectually cut the paper, no matter how uneven it may be ground.

The upper bar M of the clamping-frame', shown at gs. 3 and 4, plate 2, has made on its back part a series ofrectangular-shaped recesses, N N 'N, which extend in to within a short distance ot' the front side of the bar, and are open at their lower ends.

The angle-plate O of the gauge is made of the same length as the clamp, and is provided with a series of openings, PP P, which are made in that portion of the plate which stands vertical, and are directly oppo site to the recesses formed in the bar M; and ou the at part of the plate, or. that portion which rests on the table of the machine, is placed a plate, Q, the front edge of which is provided with a series of projecting arms, R R It, which are turned up at right angles and pass through the openings P P I?, and are so adj usted and held in position by the set-serews S and S that they extend beyond the front edge of the plate O, and when the gauge is moved toward the clamp they pass into the recesses NN N and force any paper that may be placed on the table directly under the knife. By thus reducing the thickness of the clamping-char the knife will out the paper close `to' the gauge.

The gauge `is operated from the front end of the machine by means of a screw-shaft, T, which passes through an arm secured on the lower side of the plate O, and in which is ont a female screw-thread.

The lower har U of the clamping-frame has secured c wheel` placed at one end of the machine, so that by turning the crank Y the clamping-frame is raised or depressed, as required.

On the front part of the machine, and running across it, is a shaft, Z, on which is placed a loose pinion, W Z, which gears with a spur-wheel, W3, secured on the shaft D, so that, when the shaft is rotated, motion is communicated to the knife. A clutch is also feathered ou this shaft in order to throw it in and out of gear with the pinion, and to arrest the motion of the knife when desired.v

I do not wish to. claim broadly a paper-cutting machine, as I am aware thata machine constructed so1uewhat similar to mine is now in use; neither do I wish to broadly, claim the knife, clamping-frame, or gauge; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction and arrangement of the rods G G, stub-ends H H, spheres B B and F F, yokes L, shaft D, and cranks E E, 'as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The bar M of the clamping-frame, having a series of rectangular-shaped recesses, N N N, in cornbination with the screw-shaft T, plate Q, arms R R It, plate 0 having openings P 1: P, and set-screws S S, substantially as set forth.

3. The yoke L, constructed as herein shown, and applied in the socket of a ball-joint, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: SAMUEL BROWN.

CHARLES ELEVANS, lisa/ro It. OAKFORD. 

